We will be heading for Zermatt for the first time ever in February (really wrong timing now that the CHF has skyrocketed, but we have planned for months so we are going ahead anyway)

1. Any recommended place for ski rental? Or does it depend on which hotel you are staying and you can just walk-in to a nearby rental place when you are there?

2. Lift tickets - is there any way of purchasing cheaper lift tickets? How?

3. Ski Academy - we plan on spending several days taking ski classes. Any good ones recommended and how do I get in touch with them? Intermediate skier here - mainly want to become consistent with moguls etc...

1/. There are many places in Zermatt from which you can rent, (such as Skiset; Matterhorn Sport; Flexrent; etc.) and the quality is generally very high. Also, some hotels have specific arrangement with particular rental shop where they have negotiated a discount, so it might be worth enquiring with your hotel in advance whether they have such an arrangement. If that doesn't apply, then there are a list of all the rental shops on the Zermatt website, and you could simply pick one close to your accomodation.

Bumped into this old post while posting another one. Thought I'd do a little contribution to this forum rather than just taking info only.

Zermatt's pros and cons:

Pros -

Very scenic - at the top of various runs like Gornergart or Klein Matterhorn, you will be absolutely stunned by breathtaking views on a sunny day.

HUGE - 5 days weren't enough for us to explore everything. We only spent two days at the Italy side, and that alone could easily take 2 more days. If my memory serves me right, when you go down from Klein Matterhorn either back to Zermatt or over to Cervinia (Italy), 'absolute freedom' is the closest description I can come up with.

Surreal Experience - I remember coming back from Italy and stopping at Trockener Steg along the way to have a beer at "Wunder Bar" which is more 3000m above sea level. Zipping beer while watching an endless sea of mountains is just out of this world.

Cons -

There are only 2 very narrow runs back to Zermatt town as far I can remember (or maybe 3?). Absolute nightmare at the end of the day when everyone was literally scooting towards one another trying to make their way back before sunset. It was scary especially on the first couple of days.

Altitude - you can get pretty lightheaded especially on the first two days or so when you go to the top part of the resort like Klien Matterhorn as altitude reaches almost 4000m (don't quote me on the numbers, it is very high for sure). It will take some getting used to.... it became better for me from 3rd day onwards, before which I just wanted to dash at full speed back to a lower altitude.

Bus rides - Super long line at end of day. You'd think they would have a better system to move people back to town for such a renowned resort but no... it is a bit of a chaos everyday to fight your way back to town after finishing your day off.

Insane prices - hotels, restaurants, you name it. Prices go over the roof.

Was it worth it? Absolutely! Will I go there again? Not in the foreseeable future....